Central Virginia Community College Trains Students for In-Demand Healthcare Careers

Vianca Chaidez

Vianca Chaidez

How many certificate or degree programs can claim both high job placement and exam rates? Through excellent training and student support, Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) has achieved that goal for its Allied Health programs.

Part of CVCC’s successful testing and placement rates result from the College’s close relationships with local healthcare employers. “In our community, the two largest employers are healthcare and education,” explains James Lemons, Associate Vice President of Workforce, Business, and Allied Health. “We’re meeting the needs of the community by doing a remarkable job with training.”

Certificate Programs

While CVCC offers credit programs for those who want to pursue the academic route, it also offers certifications for high-demand healthcare jobs through its Workforce Solutions Division (WSD). These FastForward programs do not offer typical college credit, but they do provide valuable certifications with a flexible schedule, ideal for working students to advance their careers or for those who want to enter the workforce quickly.

CPR

CPR

CPR

The CVCC WSD currently offers three healthcare certification programs: EMT training, which is also available as a credit program; the phlebotomy certification program offered in conjunction with Centra Health; and the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program, which prepares students for certification through the National Healthcareer Association.

EMT Training

Jason Ferguson, an EMT instructor, has seen the student demographics change in CVCC’s EMT certification program. While the field used to be male dominated, he now sees a more even split between men and women. Vianca Chaidez, for instance, is pursuing her EMT certification. “The program attracted people of all different age groups, backgrounds, and for all different reasons,” she says.

Chaidez applied to the program because of its balance of academic learning and hands-on experience: “As part of the program, we were able to spend a day at the Centra Nursing Sim Center, and we were required to spend ten hours in the field (on an ambulance & at the hospital). Those two experiences were extremely beneficial to me, but more importantly, they were exciting!”

Public Safety

Public Safety

Public Safety

As Ferguson explains, because the EMT certificate program is competency-based, students gain valuable hands-on experience. “They initially may be uncomfortable because they’re put in the spotlight,” he says, “but by the end of the course they love it.”

Students also love that the Lynchburg area has a high demand for EMTs, in the local hospital systems as well as private transport systems. CVCC’s certification can help them move into those jobs or pursue other goals. Chaidez says she is thankful for her experience and eager to use her skills to help the Lynchburg community.

A Win-Win-Win

Lemons describes CVCC’s WSD certificate programs as a win-win-win: “It’s a win-win situation for the student and the health care community, but it’s also a win for the college because we’ve been well-recognized for our contributions.”

Expert Contributors

Vianca Chaidez, EMT Student, CVCC

Jason Ferguson, EMT Instructor, CVCC

James Lemons, Associate Vice President of Workforce, Business, and Allied Health, CVCC